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Libow
Libow (IPA: laɪ̯bəʊ) is the largest island of the Northerly Archipelago and the kingdom occupying it located off the northern coast of Meringia. It is separated from Kelpnar on the continent by the Amber Straits. Geographically, the island is subdivided into 2 regions. On the eastern side of the island and under direct jurisdiction of House Searnag are the Crownlands. They hold the capital city of Nayr and its lush meadows are dotted with large farms to sustain its sizeable population. On the other side of the island lies the Wormwood, a dark and eerie sequoia tree forest that is famed for its sorcerers and oracles. The kingdom was formed a millennium ago, when the Hemblish people settled in the archipelago after rebelling against and fleeing from slavery in their home country of Vaun. A notable minority group are the indigenous Libowmen who have been largely assimilated, now occupying only a handful of villages at the northwestern coast of the Wormwood, namely the Libowmen Coast Etymology It is believed that the name of the island originates from the Hemblish name for the indigenous people of Libow - the Libowmen, which in turn is a corrupted version of their battlecry, the "Alpāv", which must've been the first thing the Hemblish heard after interacting with the then-hostile Libowmen. History Not much is known of Libow's history prior to the Hemblish arrival but the fact that the archipelago had been settled by the Libowmen for thousands of years. Their society was centered around the sea as they lived in numerous small tribes led by their respective chieftains. To this day the surviving members of this nation remain great healers, sorcerers and oracles. The Exodus Approximately 1 000 years ago the ancestors of the Hemblish people in Vaun were enslaved. At the time the societal position in Vaun depended on being either a slave or a slaver. The more slaves one held, the more successful and honorable the person was believed to be. It was impossible, however, to shift from one position to another. Hemblish national memory was continually being controlled by the slavers and altered at their will for the slaves to believe it was the natural order of things and it had been this way since time began, effectively brainwashing them. It was so effective that even the majority of Vaunish society grew to believe this. Because of this no one can really tell how many generations of people were born and died in slavery. They went as far as taking away babes from their mothers, raping their people and killing them for entertainment. Because the highest honour to a slave was to please their slaver, who in essence was a god in the slave's eyes, it was considered normal for both parties. A hunger for freedom, however, could still be felt throughout some of their society. The oldest among those who escaped slavery recalled 6 unsuccessful rebellions. The slavers called these rebels the Hembles upon which the future Hemblish identity would evolve. Aenar the Hemblish (aka as the Free) was among the best educated of slaves as he served as a tutor for the young of the Vaunish court. The slavers would often test the effectivity of their brainwashing and the loyalty of slaves by offering them an impossible choice whereupon they would have to choose between their loyalty to their family, friends and other slaves or their loyalty towards the slavers. Such was the day when Aenar was complacently tasked with transcribing a book, containing crucial information about the origin of slavery in Vaun. Upon discovery he realised that the slaves himself included had been ripped of their freedom. He decided to not act rashly and spread the word. Due to brainwashing, very few people actually believed him but he managed to get some small groups of slaves in secret meetings, eventually organizing a rebellion seemingly sprouting up from multiple locations. They managed to hijack 300 ships and escaped upon them to freedom. For 13 years they were running from their slavers, searching for a land too far from their grip just to be safe of their wrath. Eventually, less than half of the ships and a third of the Hemblish actually reached Libow, it was there they decided to stop running away as they proclaimed it to be the land of freedom where no man would ever know of the horrors of slavery. Stories of days gone by Recorded historu Geography The island is roughly triangular in shape. It is surrounded by 4 seas: the Great Misty Sea in the east, the Frozen Sea to the north, the Eternal Sea to the west and the Amber Sea or more appropriately - the Amber Strait to the south. Crownlands Nayr Brackish Lagoon The major geographical feature of easterly Crownlands is the shallow Brackish Lagoon, separated from the Great Misty Sea by a thin stretch of land called Crosquet Sands. Crosquet Sometimes spelled as Crosquette, this fortress was founded by the mythical Drab King more than 9 centuries ago and was tasked with safeguarding the only waterborne passage through Crosquet Sands into the Brackish Lagoon and by extension Nayr on the other side of the lagoon. It has grown to become the wealthiest city in the kingdom by being its largest seaport as it provides the only advantageous stop for ships en route between Meringia and Everwinter. Over 90% of goods entering the kingdom travel through the port of Crosquet. The main landmark of the city is its iconic harbour entrance made up of a giant lion sculpture on one side and a lighthouse-clocktower on the other. The story of the Hemblish escape from slavery to freedom has inspired many people to settle in Libow, but upon arrival they are met by the harsh reality as foreigners are allowed no further entrance into the kingdom than the city of Crosquet, therefore most citizens of Crosquet are not even of Hemblish origin. Furthermore, despite the Master of Admiralty holding the most power over the city, clues lead to the Anchor Bank actually being the éminence grise of much more than the city of Crosquet. Crosquet Sands It is the thin stretch of land, separating the Brackish Lagoon from the Great Misty Sea. Crosquet Sands are left mostly uninhabited as the resources of drinking water are slim and any village can be buried under shifting dunes in mere days. Life in Crosquet Sands is so hard that the few people who live there are left with no choice but to resort to hunting birds, such as crows and gulls, as well as rats and lizards. Looked down upon by other Hemblish, this lifestyle, known as crosquetting, has loaned its name to both, the city of Crosquet and the Crosquet Sands. The Uplands In the southern Crownlands, the breadbasket of Libow can be found carrying the name of the Uplands, named in contrast to the Lowlands that are regularly affected by flooding. The area is characterised by seemingly unending gently rolling plains, dotted by large farms, small villages and exquisite country retreats of wealthy aristocrats. Little more than half of the kingdom's population lives here, and, though the soil is fruitful, it cannot sustain all of Libow's needs. In the past the difference was made up by reaving and pillaging but people have moved on from such practices by shifting to trade. Up until 200 years ago, the land was almost as forested as the Wormwood. The technological development, however, required for trees to be cut down to provide for shipbuilding, housing needs and tree bark, used for runic inscriptions. Ever since then the Crownlands are well known by their meadows. However, due to this the vegetation has actually become so poor that the wind can blow the topsoil away, thus rendering it less fruitful. To a passerby it would seem that the land is littered with boulders, however, there's actually fewer boulders in the Uplands than there are in other parts of the island, where they are hidden by vegetation more ample. As the boulders render the soil unplowable, the boulders are used to mark county and land borders, to erect fences, built in cyclopean masonry, buildings and some are even used in construction of pyramids and megaliths that act as sacred sites of the natural elements. The areas not exploited for Hemblish living house glades of juniper. The Lowlands The Lowlands have gained their name due to being subject to flooding from tides and storms. They are a 10 or-so miles wide forested strip of land around Uplands on the border with the sea. Whether trees are uprooted or their branches broken during flooding, their sap gets in the water and petrifies, creating amber. After storms and tides it be found in great quantities here. There are multiple beliefs surrounding amber: some call it the tears of the sea, others believe it to be a piece of the souls of the drowned. Due to flooding, people can live only in stilt housing. The largest settlement is Toughsmeade, located at the narrowest part of the Amber Strait, providing easy access to Kelpnar. Auster Bog Nayr is located at the mouth of river Vargant, the largest river on the island. It is entirely located in the amidst the Auster Bog which has caused many technological difficulties in building the city. Bog iron found here has historically been the only source of metal on the island. Wormwood On the western side of Libow the Wormwood (aka. as the Headland, after the steep cliffs surrounding it on all sides) can be found. It is partially separated from Crownlands by the Sound of Cannor. It is a part of the kingdom of Libow in name only and no centralised jurisdiction reaches it as its people proudly wear their banner of freedom. This, however, doesn't mean that the people live in a state of lawlesness as they have their own ideas of morality, although not everybody follows them. Wormwood on average is much more forested, hillier, colder, rainier and windier than Crownlands. In addition, due to weeds growing much faster there, people believe it to be cursed as the land is harder to settle and tame. Wormwood is characterised by 120 m+ tall sequoia trees Vargant river valley Vargant river flows from Lac Mergel, the largest lake on the island, at the Nooks winding down to the Auster Bog and Nayr, flowing into the Brackish Lagoon. The main road leading from Nayr into Wormwood closely follows the course of the river. The Nooks Libowmen Coast Culture Notable people Category:Meringia Category:Kingdom of Libow